Traditionally, telecommunications service providers built and managed separate networks for providing disparate network-based services. For example, there is a time-division-multiplexed (TDM) network that supports voice telephony. Furthermore, there is a separate Frame Relay network that supports packet data service. In addition, there are other flavors of packet networking, including X.25, Ethernet, ATM, and IP. In the typical telecommunications service provider, these separate networks and their services are supported by separate management and control functions, work centers, and customer support systems. The telecommunications service providers and their respective networks rarely share more than a common use of SONET transport facilities.
One significant development in the telecommunications industry is the convergence of voice and data networks. Given that voice is transmitted digitally in modern telecommunications networks, it has been discovered that voice and data services can be provided using the same network. There are various ATM and Voice-over-IP incarnations of this approach. In addition, many telecommunications service providers have made use of ATM networks to deliver both ATM and Frame Relay Services.
Some attempts have been made to converge networks to provide voice and date services. For example, digital subscriber line (DSL) service permits users at home to receive or transmit simultaneous voice, data, and video channels to others via the Internet. In another example, cable modem service permits users at home to receive or transmit simultaneous voice, data, and video channels to others via the Internet. These types of access lines can carry a variety of broadband services from the network to users, however, sometimes, the bandwidth and transmission capabilities of access lines are not fully realized.
One drawback of conventional telecommunications systems is that conventional IP networks do not provide sufficient capabilities for secure, Quality of Service (QoS) enabled communications that are available today using connection-oriented networks. For example, networks such as TDM, SONET, and ATM, do provide both high-quality and secure communications. Unfortunately, these networks do not provide connectionless network capabilities to support the flexibility and features necessary for a variety of applications desired by a user at home, at work, or transacting business via mobile access to the network. Especially missing is the capability to provide different QoS treatment to a data flow on a packet-by-packet basis.
Furthermore, conventional telecommunications systems can be difficult to upgrade if increased bandwidth and transmission capabilities are desired. Many conventional networks are “core-based”. That is, essential programming required to operate the network is centralized in a core switch or set of switches. Upgrading the “core” can mean the entire replacement of the core switch or set of switches. Sometimes, in order to upgrade bandwidth capacity and/or transmission capabilities, expensive and complex networking equipment must be replaced throughout the network. The ultimate replacement of this equipment can take many months or years to accomplish, with disruptions in service, and in quality of service.
Finally, advances in intelligent programming of conventional telecommunications systems are creating opportunities for providing additional services and applications for users. For example, secure, QoS (quality of service) and CoS (class of service)-enabled communications are limited to users of conventional networks. Applying these applications to different types of networks creates inconsistent requirements for quality of service and have prevented the emergence of easy-to-understand business models for selling QoS-enabled networking.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and methods for providing telecommunications services through an integrated digital network.
There is a need for a system and methods for providing telecommunications services through an integrated digital network that provides the superset of all previous network types, and can continue to support being the core for existing networks—now used simply as edge access methods.
There is a further need for a system and methods for configuring an existing telecommunications network into an integrated digital network.
Finally, there is a need for a system and methods for configuring a telecommunications network for delivering service applications in a way that is quality, security, and content aware to network users.